News

I think this is the most interesting bit in the paper

Divorcees are more
likely to have a heart attack than their peers who stay married, US research
suggests.

An
analysis of 15,827 people showed women were worst affected, and barely reduced
the risk if they remarried.

The
study, published in the journal Circulation, argued that chronic stress, linked
to divorce, had a long-term impact on the body.

The
British Heart Foundation called for more research before divorce is classed as
a major heart risk.

We
already know that the death of a close loved one can greatly increase the risk
of a heart attack

Now a
team at Duke University has shown a similar effect after divorce.

During
the course of the study, between 1992 and 2010, roughly one in three people
divorced at least once.

Women
who divorced once were 24% more likely to have had a heart attack in the study
than women who were continuously married. The figure was 77% for those having
multiple divorces.

In
men, there was a modest 10% extra risk for one divorce and 30% increase after
multiple divorces.

One of
the researchers Prof Linda George said: "This risk is comparable to that
of high blood pressure or if you have diabetes, so it's right up there, it is
pretty big."

When
it came to remarriage, the risk was only marginally reduced for women while men
bounced back.

"I
think this is the most interesting bit in the paper," Prof George added.

She
told the BBC News website: "We joke around here and call it the
'any-women-will-do orientation' for men.

"They're
more comfortable being married than not married and cope with different women
being their spouses.

"First
marriages are protective for women and it's a little dicey after that.But
why?

The
researchers found that changes in lifestyle, such as loss of income, could not
explain the heightened risk.

Prof
George told the BBC News website: "My educated speculation is that we know
that psychological distress is a constant stress on the immune system, higher
levels of inflammation and stress hormones increase.

"Immune
function is altered for the worse and if that continues for many years it does
take a physiological toll."

She
argues the sex-difference is also found in depression and that divorce is a
greater "psychological burden" for women although "we don't know
exactly what's going on".

While
tablets can reduce the risks caused by high blood pressure, there is no easy
solution for the pain of divorce.

The researchers recommend close, supportive
friends.

Prof
Jeremy Pearson, from the British Heart Foundation, commented: "We have
known for some time that our mental health can affect our heart health.